Kathmandu/New Delhi: Nepal’s parliament on Saturday voted on a constitutional amendment bill in a special session to update the country’s map, which includes a stretch of land high in the mountains that India claims as its own. The bill was supported by all the 258 lawmakers present and voting and the house has a total strength of 275, so the amendment bill was passed by a two-third majority.

India, reacting to the new map, said this artificial enlargement of claims is not tenable.

“We have noted that the House of Representatives of Nepal has passed a constitution amendment bill for changing the map of Nepal to include parts of Indian territory. We have already made our position clear on this matter,” India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Saturday.

“This artificial enlargement of claims is not based on historical fact or evidence and is not tenable. It is also violative of our current understanding to hold talks on outstanding boundary issues,” he said.

The new map – made public last month – shows a sliver of land on the east of river Kali, jutting out from the northwestern tip of Nepal. The area includes the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand and Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, which are highly strategic areas which India has been guarding since the 1962 war with China.